Rules Of Engagement
by theballingtwinsx
Summary: The sequel/continuation of "Complexity." Just when these couples thought they finally had it all figured out, things changed, but the complexity remains. For Nikki, Seth, Emma, Dean, Paige, and Roman, the term "simplicity" is nonexistent.


*****Author's Note: Hi there! This is a sequel to my fanfic, Complexity. The story seemed to be popular and well liked and I had some inspiration to write again. So here's the continuation! If you haven't read Complexity, you may be a little lost when it comes to the plot and characters of this. But I'm sure you'll be able to follow it regardless. Thank you for clicking on this story and I really really hope you enjoy what I have in store for you.**

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Chapter 1: _"Save The Date"_

Nikki paced back and forth in her hotel room, constantly looking back at the clock seated on the sleek night stand. She was impatient as she pulled her phone out once more to send another, "Where r u?!" text. But before her thumb could hit the send button, there was a soft knock on the door. She quickly threw the phone down on the bed and rushed to the door. She reached her hand out and released a deep breath before grabbing hold of the knob.

"Where have you been?" She greeted the blond standing on the other side of the door. "Don't you know what an emergency is?" Nikki questioned as she grabbed her guest's wrist and pulled them in so she could shut the door.

"Sorry, I was having lunch with Paige-" Emma began before Nikki turned around and raised an eyebrow. Emma quickly shut her mouth, remembering her agreement not to mention Paige or her boyfriend in front of Nikki.

"Lunch with Paige? Emma I sent you a 911 text. A 911 text means you drop everything and come to my rescue- that's what friends do-" Nikki began spilling in one breath.

"Okay, okay I'm here now. And plus, the last 911 text I got from you, I did drop everything and all you needed was help picking out a dress." Emma reminded her brunette friend as she set her bag down and took a seat. Nikki rolled her eyes before the blond flashed her a bright smile. "So, what's the emergency?"

Nikki took a deep breath as she took a few steps forward until she stood directly in front of Emma. She stuck her left hand out in front of Emma.

"Oh wow that's gorgeous-" Emma began then her eyes widened before she jumped up to her feet. "Nikki! Is this what I think it is?" She exclaimed as she held onto Nikki's left hand and gawked at the radiance beaming off of it.

Nikki pulled her hand away, "Depends… what do you think it is?" She asked nervously.

Emma shot her a _duh_ look. "It's an engagement ring, isn't it? He proposed? When?!" The blonde spew with excitement.

Nikki turned away and began walking as Emma followed her trail. "Nikki?" Emma called waiting for answers.

Nikki threw her head back and turned to face Emma again, causing Emma to quickly stop in her tracks, almost walking into Nikki.

She sighed. "Yes, he proposed... and he wants to have dinner with his family to tell them this weekend."

Emma's smile faded when she heard Nikki's unenthusiastic tone. "Okay… so what's wrong?"

Nikki turned again and made her way to the refrigerator. She released a deep breath as she pulled out the half empty bottle of her favorite wine. "I haven't told anyone yet- not even Brie. You're the first person who knows." Nikki revealed as she filled her glass.

"I am?" Emma questioned, with a hint of pride.

"That's why this is a 911 situation. I need a way to stop him from wanting to tell everyone. I've managed to get him to stay quiet for a while but I'm out of excuses now." Nikki explained before sipping on her wine.

Emma gave her a confused look. "So you've been _hiding_ it?"

Nikki put her glass down and nodded slowly.

"For how long?"

"Not long…" She said without eye contact.

"How long is 'not long'?" Emma continued interrogating.

Nikki shrugged a shoulder. "About 4 months."

"You've been engaged for _four months_ without telling anyone?!" Emma shouted in disbelief. "Why?"

"Because it happened so fast, and when he asked it caught me off guard. I didn't know what to say-" Nikki began defending her secret.

Emma put her hands out in front of her to stop Nikki, "You didn't know what to say? You love him don't you?"

"Well, yeah… I do- but, I'm not ready for this-"

"Nikki, I'm sorry but you _are_ 32, you know." Emma said with a slight chuckle, earning a glare from the bride-to-be. "Sorry." She quickly apologized.

Nikki rolled her eyes. "I've dreamt of this since I was a little girl. But Seth and I… we haven't even been together that long. If I tell anyone we're engaged they'll think-"

Emma smiled warmly, "Who cares what anyone thinks. If you love Seth and want to marry him, that's all that matters." She encouraged. Emma furrowed her brows when read uncertainty on Nikki's face.

"You do want to marry him, right?" She questioned.

Nikki looked down at her finger and began playing with the brilliantly cut and diamond encrusted ring on her finger.

"Nikki…"

Nikki kept her eyes down. "I don't know, okay? I don't know if he's the guy I want to make this huge lifelong commitment to- I need more time. And I don't know how to tell him that without hurting him and ruining everything." Nikki admitted. "Especially after everything he's been through these past few months."

"And he's been okay with you keeping the engagement a secret?"

Nikki gulped her wine until the glass was empty. She grabbed the bottle to pour out more but Emma quickly pulled it out of her reach.

Nikki sighed once more. "We agreed to keep it quiet until he's recovered from his injury and gets back on the road. I told him that I didn't want him to stress over the wedding so he could focus on recovering. And that gives me time to think-"

"You've had four months to think. Nikki, if you're not 100% sure about spending the rest of your life with Seth, you need to tell him."

"I can't. He's stressed enough with this injury. It'll just make everything worse for him."

Emma looked at Nikki in utter disbelief, "so when exactly will be the right time to tell him the truth?"

Nikki looked at Emma then shrugged, not sure how to answer. "It just felt so rushed. And when he asked me, he wasn't even 100% sober. He didn't even have the ring yet when he asked. How I do I know he really meant it, and he's not going to regret it? Maybe he's just going with it because he feels bad. It could've just been a drunken mistake."

Emma slightly shook her head, "This is Seth we're talking about. Do you honestly believe anything that you just said?"

Nikki looked away from Emma, not wanting to admit that she did. "Can I have my wine back now?"

Emma held the bottle out but didn't release her hold when Nikki tried to take it back. "You have to tell him how you feel. Give him a chance to explain himself and prove to you that he did really mean it."

"That's not exactly something I want to talk about over FaceTime." Nikki yanked the bottle out of the blonde's grip.

"That's why this weekend is the perfect opportunity. Before the dinner with his family. You have let him know how you're feeling, Nikki." Emma advised.

"Okay, fine… maybe you're right." Nikki admitted before taking another large sip of wine. She put the glass down then took a long look at Emma. She took a deep breath,"But-"

"But nothing." Emma stopped her.

Nikki shot her a look, " _But_ ," She emphasized, "you need to take your own advice."

"Nope, I don't want to talk about this." Emma shut down the new conversion. She quickly took hold of Nikki's newly poured glass of wine and took a sip.

Nikki glared at her for a moment before going to find a new glass. "Just like Seth deserves to know the truth, so does Dean." Nikki continued as she set the glass down and poured the remainder of the wine. "God forbid he found out something so huge from someone else-"

"How could that possibly happen when you're the only one who knows?" Emma gave her a warning look. "Look Nikki, I appreciate everything you've done for me but I need you to let me handle it on my own now."

"But don't you think Dean deserves to know why you really broke up-" Nikki continued.

"No, Nicole! Just let it go." Emma shouted causing Nikki to freeze with her brows raised.

Emma released a deep breath when she realized her voice was raised. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout at you."

Nikki gave Emma a half smile and reached a hand out to rub Emma's arm for comfort. "No, you're right. I know you're still sensitive over everything that happened, so I won't bring it up again. And your secret will forever be safe with me."

Emma smiled. "Thank you." She took another sip of wine then released a deep breath.

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"Alright, you're sure you can handle this? I need to make sure everything's perfect for this weekend." Seth questioned once more as he looked at the FaceTime screen on his iPad.

"You ask me that one more time and you're gonna need to find yourself a new best man." Seth rolled his eyes at the threat he heard through the speaker.

"I haven't even chosen a best man yet. Anyway, just make sure everyone is here on Saturday by 5." Seth instructed again.

"You honestly don't think anyone's going to wonder why you're throwing a party? Or why they can't tell Nikki about it?" Roman forced Seth to analyze his idea.

Seth shrugged, "I'm not too worried. I'm betting they'll all just assume I'm going to pop the question."

"Which you already did… months ago. Why the hell have you waited this long to tell people?" Roman questioned.

Seth released a breath. "Because, Nikki didn't want me to stress over wedding plans, or have people constantly bringing it up. She wants me to focus on getting back in the ring. I mean, I agreed at first, but then I realized how selfish that is. She deserves to be able to wear her ring and feel like a future bride. That'a why this weekend, I'm gonna surprise her by getting everyone over here to finally announce it."

Roman nodded, "Don't worry, man. I've got everything under control. And since Nikki still hates me, there's no way she'll find out from me-"

"Find out what?" Seth heard the thick accent in the background as well as the sound of the door shutting.

Roman looked up from his phone and smiled at the young, raven haired woman that entered the scene.

"About the party Rollins just invited us to this Saturday." Roman told the woman while she took a close seat next to him.

"Hey loser." She leaned in and smiled into the camera. "How's the knee?"

Seth smiled, "It's getting there. I'll be back in no time. So you don't have to miss me too much longer." He shot her a grin.

Paige rolled her eyes, "Take your time, I haven't started missing you just yet. Why are you throwing a party?"

Seth paused before answering as he tried to think of an answer that wasn't the truth. "Well… I uh, house warming party."

Paige gave him a questioning look. "When the hell did you find time to move?"

Roman looked down and shook his head in disappointment. Of all the lies Seth could've come up with, he chose that one.

"I uh, I didn't. It's for Nikki. You know," He said with a nervous chuckle. "Because she's moving in."

Paige slowly nodded then smiled. "First, you expect me to believe that Nikki Bella is moving to Iowa? Second, you're still a terrible liar. Third, do you seriously think I'm an idiot?" She turned to look at Roman. "What's going on?" Her eyes pierced into his as she waited for answers.

Roman looked to the screen at Seth then back to Paige. "He's throwing Nikki a surprise party so they can announce their engagement to everyone."

"What?" Paige furrowed her eyebrows.

"Dude!" Seth exclaimed.

Roman shrugged, "I'm not lying to my girl for you, man."

Seth shook his head, "That's funny coming from you." Roman rolled his eyes. "Paige, just don't tell anyone. This is supposed to be a surprise."

"Wait, when did you get engaged?" She questioned.

"Same night you two finally got together." Seth revealed.

Paige looked confused. "And no one else knows?"

Seth's head involuntarily turned towards the door when his doorbell rang. He looked back to the screen, "Yes, and it needs to stay that way until Saturday. Anyway, my physical therapist is here so I'll catch you guys later."

"Alright man, see you soon." Roman said before the call ended.

As soon as the video call ended, Roman set his phone down as he turned to face the pale lady beside him. Without warning he leaned in ready to plant a kiss on her.

"Wait so he's been engaged to Nikki for 3 months?" Paige questioned as she leaned away.

"Four." Roman corrected her, then went in for the kiss again.

"Four? We've been together that long?" Paige questioned, thinking out loud.

Roman raised an eyebrow. "You serious?"

Paige shook her head, "Never mind." She said, hoping he'd drop the topic.

Roman looked down and smiled before shaking his head. He didn't want to discuss the fact that she had no idea how long they'd been dating. Right now he just wanted a taste of her. He smiled as he leaned in once more and placed a kiss on the side of her neck.

Paige placed her hands on his chest to gently push him away. "Hey, um, where's Dean?" Paige questioned as she looked around.

"What? Ambrose- I don't know." Roman responded then leaned in again to meet Paige's lips. He wrapped his large arms around her body and pulled her close as she got onto her knees and rested on his lap.

Roman broke the kiss, "You know, I wanted to hang up on Seth as soon as you walked in, just so I could do this." Roman told her as his breaths hit her lips. Paige smiled and their lips met once more.

"That's just nasty." They heard as the door shut. Paige broke the kiss and turned to face the man that entered the hotel suite.

Paige rolled her eyes as she removed herself from Roman's hold and stood to her feet. "I told you I'd beat you here, idiot." She greeted Dean.

Roman watched unamused as Paige walked away from him.

Dean set his belonings down then leaned against the counter of the hotel kitchenette. "I would've beat you here but this smoking hot chick insisted I take her number- ow!" Dean laughed after Paige smacked the side of his head.

"What is wrong with you? You're not supposed to be getting anyone's number. What about Emma?" Paige grilled into him.

Roman released a loud breath filled with annoyance as he stood to his feet and walked over to the two. He pulled out a beer from the mini fridge as the conversation continued without him.

Dean rubbed the area where Paige's hand landed and shrugged. "Look, I appreciate you trying to get Emma and I back together, but it's over. I wanna move on."

Paige crossed her arms as she glared at him. "You don't mean that. Emma's still in love with you-"

"Did she say that?" Dean raised an eyebrow.

Paige pursed her lips to the side and avoided eye contact, not wanting to answer the question.

Dean released a breath then nodded. "Exactly what I thought."

"You two were best friends and now you won't even look at each other. I don't get it." Paige expressed.

Dean shrugged as he tried not to let the emotions consume him. "It is what it is," was all he could say.

"Well we had lunch today and she was this close to opening up to me about it but she got some weird text and had to leave. Dean, I'm telling you, don't give up-" Paige tried to convince him.

"It's been over a month. Emma wants nothing to do with me so let's just let it go, huh?" Dean tried to put an end to the conversation. "You ready to go?" He asked, changing the topic.

Paige was aware that he had no desire to discuss Emma anymore. Even though she wanted him to keep holding on to the idea of Emma going back to him, she respected his decision not to talk about it. After all, she could only imagine how much he had been hurting. She'd never seen Dean so in love with anyone before Emma, and on the other hand, never saw him so heartbroken after she suddenly cut all ties with him without an explanation.

"Fine. Let's go. But you're driving." Paige responded as she headed for the door.

"Good, especially considering your awful driving could get us killed." Dean joked as she tossed the keys to him.

"Shut up." Paige retorted.

"Where are you going? You just got here." Roman questioned as the two headed for the door.

Paige turned and continued walking backwards towards the door. "Oh, there's this vintage record store downtown that we're going to check out before we have to get back on the road."

"I heard it has some rare classics, probably be worth something-" Dean added as they both stood in the doorway.

Roman chuckled. "Oh, so you only came here to meet up with Ambrose." He stated, his tone hinting at a bit of annoyance.

Paige looked to Dean before looking back at Roman. "Um, yeah but-"

Roman shook his head then turned his back to the two and headed towards his part of the hotel suite. Paige looked at Dean again and he shrugged a shoulder.

"Hey, Ro, hold on." Dean called after him. "Did you wanna tag along?"

Without turning back around, Roman answered "Tag along with my girlfriend? Nah, I'm good. Have fun." He said before shutting the bedroom door behind him.

Dean looked to Paige and gave her a look. Before he could make a comment Paige continued out the door as if everything was perfectly fine. Dean could tell by Roman's mannerisms that something was up between the too. As much as he wanted to dig for answers, clearly Paige wasn't going to discuss it.

He shut the door behind them and they made their exit.

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 **Author's note... again: Okay so, first chapters are usually blah with me, sorry. But I would love some feedback and I'd like to know if there's any interest in this sequel at all. I'm writing it for fun and just because I want to, but if I know that there's people out there that actually want to read it, it'll light a flame under my butt and keep me motivated haha. So please be sure to let me know what you think so far!**


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